Today I get an offer from Bank of America…
“Some day, one day – today is the day. Write a check for cash.” I should state that I have a credit card with them and I haven’t used up all my credit yet. Anyway, here’s the rest of their copy.
“Your friends and family believe in you and so do we. Use the attached access checks as an additional way to optimize the financial flexibility of your [fancy credit card] account.”
Wow, BofA believes in me. I guess they’ve been talking to my friends and family, too. Clearly it’s BS. Not only is it BS, but it’s unconscionable. BofA is trying to make me feel some kind of a positive emotional response about people I care for in order to spend money that they’ll lend me. It’s clearly in their best interest (and I also mean in terms of compounding interest against me). Do they think I’m stupid? Yes, they do.
This kind of crappy psychological marketing copy is way too prevalent in our culture. It’s so prevalent that we accept it as common place. I think it’s a lack of thinking on the part of our culture over all. Are there others out there who think and want culture that is thinking, too?
Thought is welcome.